


zugzwang

by soliari



Category: Kamen Rider Wizard
Genre: Chess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 19:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2320202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soliari/pseuds/soliari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nitoh plays mind-chess with Chimaera in Remnants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	zugzwang

**Author's Note:**

> zugzwang is a chess term i stg i didn't just keysmash.

There’s no reason for Nitoh to be at Remnants, right now. Haruto distinctly remembers Nitoh saying he’d leave when Shunpei was going, when Rinko was gathering her things to depart—and yet he hadn’t. Now, Pops has gone to bed and Koyomi’s finished her inventory. He can hear her banging around in the back, but his attention is on the chess board on the coffee table.

“No, Chimaera, that ain’t legal,” Nitoh is saying, directing his attention at the gate closed at his belt buckle. “Knight’s move two and then one. Yeah, I don’t care if you think that’s bull, man, that’s the rule.”

Nitoh leans forward and shifts one of the black chess pieces. Haruto looks down to watch him. “You know,” he says, voice droll, “if I were anybody else, this whole ‘playing chess with my Phantom’ thing’d be a lot weirder.” He shifts on the hard-backed couch, slinging one ankle over the other. There’s a book open on his lap— _Moribito_ , for the fifth or sixth time—and his attention flickers back up from it for the tenth or twelfth time since Nitoh asked to borrow the chess board. Haruto doesn’t have a mind for chess—or _go_ , or _shogi_ , or anything more long-term than checkers—and Nitoh’s talk of _C-5 to D-7, shut up Chimaera I’ve got a plan, don’t you wanna win, stop helpin’ the enemy here!_ is like Greek to him.

Nitoh doesn’t answer, still arguing with Chimaera about the movement of the bishop, for a long minute, and Haruto’s attention drifts back to his book. Then, finally, Nitoh looks up, and flashes him a cheery smile. “Yeah, well, if you were anybody else I wouldn’t be playin’ chess with my Phantom on your table, would I?” When Haruto looks back up, Nitoh is still looking at him, idly rolling a white pawn back and forth between his fingers.

Haruto snorts, looking down at the board, and leans forward to snag one of the discarded black pieces. “Pops said somebody came in to look at this thing yesterday,” he comments. “You’re gonna have to get your own.”

"I already got one, man, how d’you think Chimaera got so good? This one’s just nicer." Nitoh shifts a piece of his own and pats at the belt. "Your turn, Chimaera." Then he looks sideways, out at the front door. “‘s cold out there," he continues, and to his credit there isn’t (much) whine to it. "Hopin’ to miss the worst of it tonight."

Haruto hums. “Koyomi,” he calls, “can you make tea for three?”


End file.
